by Robert Wright Many times when a homeowner is planning or thinking about a project they may think “that shouldn’t take too long” or “that shouldn’t cost a lot”. Then they get a surprise, sometimes a nasty surprise when the invoice or budget is produced. What was missed? When a professional renovator looks at a project for a client, they not only look at the work to be done, but also where the project is, what time of year it is to be completed, what kind of preparation and clean up is there, and are there any time restraints? So lets look at what a pro renovator sees….stuff you may not expect to be an issue. A simple home repair can cause some of the biggest surprises. You have a damaged stipple ceiling, one too many rubs from the Christmas tree or the tub up stairs leaked. The repair work will involve stripping off the stipple, maybe patching the drywall or plaster and then reshooting the stipple. Maybe you will also have the ceiling painted. You would figure that this work would be done in a couple of hours and the materials of $50.00. For the work you would be right, what you would not realize is the amount of preparation and clean up involved. This would include furniture removal, floor protection install, wall protection from the over spray, and then final clean up. This can easily be 4 hours of work for at least one man. So $150 of repair work will require $250 to $500 of prep and clean up in addition. Yikes. You want to change some windows and the front door of your home. You have now ordered them and they are expected to be delivered in January. The contractor says yes we can install them in winter, just close some doors in the rooms and we won’t freeze you out. What you don’t know is that the installer moves much slower in the winter…because its cold! The exterior caulking takes forever to apply even if it is kept warm in the house or truck; the nails and screws are difficult to use when you wear gloves; and the spray foam insulation may not expand enough in the cold. More time is required, in difficult weather to complete the same tasks, so hours get added to the invoice. You would like a simple small addition or bump out on the rear of your home. The problem is that there is only 5’ between your home and your neighbour. There is no room to bring any equipment to the work area; but we can get men and wheel barrows in. For what could normally be done by a piece of excavating equipment in 8 hours by one man will now take 4 days by two men operating equipment with wooden booms. In addition, when you need to place the concrete, you can’t back the truck up to the form and install the concrete directly. You will either need to hire a concrete pump at least twice, to place the concrete, or you will have to have an army of men to push wheel barrows to move the concrete to its final location. Sometimes you want a project completed within a specific time frame i.e. the kitchen has to be ready for Christmas and you have been delayed in starting the project because of back ordered materials. To make up the lost time, the guys on site will now have to work overtime to complete the project within the timeframe. To work overtime, the guys will want more money, which can range from time and a half to double time and a half for the overtime hours. It would not take long to double up the labour costs with overtime. The single largest reason for cost or budget overruns is labour. With materials, it is easy to calculate the amount needed, the cost, and the delivery. The install time of materials can be quite flexible, especially when any thing out of the ordinary is required. Also the set up and clean up time can be many times more than the actual work. So when you are looking at a project, consider the other things that need to be done to complete that simple project. About the Author Rob Wright has grown up around construction and in the mid 1990’s, Rob joined and took over Citadel Renovations in Ottawa. Rob has presented seminars at the local home shows on various renovations subjects and is a contributor to the Home Renovation Guide. Rob has been active in the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association for many years and previously served as the Renovation Council Chair. For more information, visit CitadelRenovations.com . Looking for a local contractor? Visit the Home Renovation Guide’s Complete Directory or Get a Free Quote .
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Wow, that cost a lot to do…